What is a Pre- or Post-Conference Workshop?
The pre- and post-conference workshops for the Outdoor Professional Conference (OPC) are designed to provide attendees with a more comprehensive learning experience. These workshops offer hands-on training, expert-led sessions, and unique networking opportunities, allowing participants to delve deeper into key topics related to outdoor recreation and education. The sessions cater to various skill levels, from foundational knowledge to advanced concepts, ensuring that all attendees can enhance their expertise and take away valuable insights.
Each workshop is facilitated by experienced professionals and often includes a blend of online and in-person sessions. These opportunities allow attendees to expand their skill sets, connect with peers, and apply new techniques and strategies in their professional roles. Additional registration is required for these workshops, which are tailored to maximize the value of the overall conference experience. You may also attend these workshops without conference registration.
2026 Pre Conference Workshops
Date: Monday, November 16th
Fee: $329.00
By: Alpenglow Education Consulting
Your staff knows how to splint a broken ankle, but do they know what to do when a participant has mental or behavioral health needs?
Mental health crises are now the most common critical incidents in outdoor programs, yet most staff receive limited training in behavioral response. This session equips outdoor professionals with practical, field-tested tools to assess risk, de-escalate crises, and make sound decisions when professional mental health resources are limited.
Participants will learn a standardized framework for responding to the most common behavioral emergencies in outdoor settings: suicidal ideation, panic attacks, self-harm, eating disorders, and trauma responses. Through scenario-based training, attendees will practice crisis assessment, safety planning, documentation protocols, and post-incident care, skills they can implement immediately when they return to their programs.
Date: Nov 4 - Dec 2, 2026, Online
Fee: $649.00
By: Viristar
Viristar’s Risk Management for Outdoor Programs course provides a comprehensive training on safety management for outdoor professionals.
The course is 40 hours in length, over four weeks, and takes place online.
The course is suitable for managers and those with administrative or other leadership responsibilities for outdoor programs, or those who plan to be managers. No prior knowledge required.
Course Components:
The course is composed of both self-study and video-conference sessions. These live calls include seminar-style discussions, participant presentations, question and answer periods, and learning activities held in large and small groups.
In between video-conference sessions are Independent Work Periods. During these times participants complete independent work including readings, video presentations, quizzes, discussion forums, video-based role-play simulations, assessments, and writing assignments such as a Risk Management Plan outline.
Course topics include:
- Laws
- Safety standards
- Human factors
- Equipment
- Transportation
- Insurance
- Safety audits
- Systems thinking
- and much more
Textbook:
The course includes the course textbook Risk Management for Outdoor Programs: A Guide to Safety in Outdoor Education, Recreation and Adventure.
Certification:
Individuals who fully participate in learning activities and successfully complete the final exam receive a certificate from Viristar valid for three years.
For more information, visit courses.viristar.com.
Dates/times for the online session(s):
- Wednesday, Nov 4, 11:00 am – 11:45 am UTC-5
- Wednesday, Nov 11, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm UTC-5
- Wednesday, Nov 18, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm UTC-5
- Wednesday, Nov 25, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm UTC-5
- Wednesday, Dec 2, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm UTC-5